Red, White & BOOM! — the largest fireworks display in the Midwest — is returning to CBUS on Wednesday, July 3. Before 400,000 people travel downtown for the festival, we're here to make sure your night is bright.

The BOOM! basics

The free festival will span 2.5 miles downtown, including Battelle Riverfront Park, Bicentennial Park, and McFerson Commons Park. It will be the largest, single-day event in Columbus for the year.

The action starts at 12 p.m. with live music and 100+ food and drink vendors. Performances continue all day, and you can use the festival guide map to find the food truck alley and list of performers.

The Ford Oval of Honor parade will step off from the Main Street bridge at 5:30 p.m. Find great viewing areas along Front Street and Broad Street.

The main event of fireworks begins at 10 p.m. They are expected to last just under 30 minutes, with the finale taking off from Franklin University.

Pro tip: Last year, Senior City Editor Hanna watched the show from the Scioto Mile, and the view was perfect. Bring blankets or chairs if you want to sit and get comfortable.

Expect classic fair food like lemonade and corn dogs. | Photo by Red, White & BOOM!

Parking

Planning ahead is the best way to combat parking problems.

It's recommended to pre-order parking ahead of the festival from garages listed on SpotHero. This will give you rates and walking distance from the action.

Staying safe

With so many people in one space, you may be worried about safety. Co-executive director Shawn Verhoff assured there are measures in place to help with everything from parking restrictions to disasters.

"[It's] one of the safest environments coming into downtown, with nearly a third of the Columbus Police Department working," he said.